Olympus Trip 301

The Olympus Trip 301, an basic camera for the snapshot photography from the 1990s, presents itself as an uncomplicated choice for photography beginners. Its sister, the Olympus Trip 300, is very similar, but has no self-timer.

Equipped with a fixed 34 mm lens and a maximum aperture of f/5.6, the Trip 301 doesn’t surprise with its speed, but it still offers solid performance for spontaneous moments.

The focus is fixed, as are most of the settings on this camera, which automatically adjusts the aperture and shutter speed. The sensitivity of the film is elegantly coded by the cartridge.

An integrated flash provides lighting when required, without the option of switching it off. But the camera is versatile: it can easily be mounted on a tripod. This is useful when using the self-timer. This makes it easy to take self-portraits or group pictures.

The Olympus Trip 301 requires two commercially available AA batteries (eBay / Amazon*), a readily available option for its operation.

Films for the Olympus Trip 301

The camera remains relevant today for those looking for a handy solution. In addition to batteries, film is of course required for photography.

According to the instruction manual, the Olympus Trip 301 is designed for 35mm films, which are still offered by various manufacturers.

The films available for the Trip 301 include Kodak T-Max 100* for impressive black and white shots and Kodak Ultramax 400* for vivid colour photographs. Of course, there are many more 35mm films to choose from.

The colour films are developed using the C-41 process, which is offered by professional photo labs. Many of these laboratories also offer the development of black and white films.

The Olympus Trip 301 negatives are 24mm x 36mm in size and one roll holds approximately 36 images. A small window on the back allows a view of the inserted film.

The automatic film transport function automatically rewinds the film to the next frame after each release and back into the cartridge at the end of the film. The rewinding process can also be triggered manually and a counter on the top shows the number of photos taken.